A 40' shipping container sold in Billings, MT costs around $6,000. I can buy them all day long in Denver for $2,500 and haul them myself back to Billings on the 40' gooseneck trailer I'm ordering. I plan on purchasing 6-8 shipping containers for various uses. I had intended to build one into a camper. My thinking was that when we want to travel I can just load the "camper" onto the trailer and haul it and unload it after the trip.

This still seems like a great idea, however the unloaded weight of a 40' shipping container is 8,800#. I expect the trailer itself to weigh at least that much, too. While my Dodge is rated to tow 30,000#, I really don't want to pull that heavy. I suppose I could buy a 20' shipping container to build into a camper but that's still over 5,000# and that's before I add furniture and appliances.

So is there anything similar to a shipping container that isn't built quite as heavy duty?

It sure seems like shipping containers either get used originally for their intended purpose, or people make them in to something that's STATIONARY. Wouldn't you need to cut it up and install windows and ventilation, to use it like a camper? I just see the family being in a very foul mood, when their vacation is spent in a dark, hot box that smells like gear oil.

My objective in doing this is to build exactly what I want. I'm not trying to be pragmatic and I'm not trying to save money; I'm just trying to build the kind of camper that's exactly what I want it to be. I've purchased many commercial campers over the years, from truck campers to 5th wheel toy haulers and it doesn't matter how much you spend, commercial campers are varying degrees of .

The last camper I bought was a $60,000 piece of . Every time I took it out something failed. I even had an axle mounting u-bolt break while in the middle of Yellowstone park. It took three hours and a ratchet strap to limp it back into West Yellowstone. I removed the outlet box cover to install the additional air conditioner and found that the hole in the ceiling for the outlet box had been beaten out with a hammer instead of being cut. This is just one of countless examples of why I say commercial campers are , even if you can't see it from the pretty wrapping that covers the .

With my personal experiences in mind, I intend to build my own. I'll likely put a 20' container of some kind on the front of the 40' trailer leaving me 20' to carry some ATVs as well as pull another 20' trailer behind it with more.

By building what I want I will have exactly what I want when finished and I will gain a wealth of satisfaction from having built my own instead of buying over-priced commercial . I think creating your own <insert project here> is an integral part of being a man. I do sincerely appreciate the many recommendations, but really I'm just looking for a lighter alternative for a big box. When I do something I always go all the way. If I end up using a shipping container I would first sand blast the entire thing, powder coat it, put in a false floor (water tank and sewage beneath it), build all the furniture by hand and install the best appliances available including a small hot tub by the back door that could be left open with a mosquito net over the opening. With a camper like this, even a long term bug-out wouldn't be too bad.

I've seen old delivery trucks made into campers and motor homes…some pretty cool. I guess I balk at the weight of a shipping container and all the cutting/welding you'll have to do. By the time you frame up walls and such, how much room will you have?